Way to easy to become a tennis coach

[solidtennis]

Iam constantly seeing so called qualified tennis coaches with poor technique feeding balls to people and charging them for a tennis lesson. This is wrong Its a scam and something needs to be done about it.Lift the bar and make it harder to become a tennis coach.
To coach I beleve you should have to of:
1, played a high level of tennis
2, have a solid technique
If these coaches have never played at a high level of tennis what are they teaching?I play open tournaments but havent played any satelite tournaments yet and dont think I could sucessfully tennis coach with the experience I have,so why do they think they can?I wouldnt even hit with most of them !!!!!!
my practice partner is an ex davis cup player and we play alot of tournaments together and we always get a laugh out of watching alot of the coaches trying to teach something they havent even been able to learn properly themselves, Its like the blind leading the blind
I also offern wonder about the level that some of the guys are at who give advice on here.

 

[tennus]

Iam constantly seeing so called qualified tennis coaches with poor technique feeding balls to people and charging them for a tennis lesson. This is wrong Its a scam and something needs to be done about it.Lift the bar and make it harder to become a tennis coach.
To coach I beleve you should have to of:
1, played a high level of tennis
2, have a solid technique
If these coaches have never played at a high level of tennis what are they teaching?I play open tournaments but havent played any satelite tournaments yet and dont think I could sucessfully tennis coach with the experience I have,so why do they think they can?I wouldnt even hit with most of them !!!!!!
my practice partner is an ex davis cup player and we play alot of tournaments together and we always get a laugh out of watching alot of the coaches trying to teach something they havent even been able to learn properly themselves, Its like the blind leading the blind
I also offern wonder about the level that some of the guys are at who give advice on here.[/QUOTE]

Well, their advice is free ! It's up to you whether you take it. Yes there are plently of rogues out there looking for a quick buck. There are many schools of thought on this one. Here's just a few:
1. They have a right to earn a living.
2. They shouldn't necessarily teach as they play.
3. They should/shouldn't be required to maintain skills and knowledge by regulation of a coaching authority
4. Are they coaching technique or just hitting partners ?
5. Are they actually coaching for charge ?
6. Are they coaching tennis or activity providers.

 

[10s talk]

based on your standards Nick Bollettieri couldn't teach tennis. If someone isn't seeing results from their lessons they can always find a new pro.

I have seen plenty of good players who can't teach, and vice versa.

 

[Vision84]

Before getting taught by someone why don't you ask what their qualifications are. I know the PTR for example have a skills section in their testing which I udnerwent. if one were to fail this then they fail the test and don't get qualified.

 

[NoBadMojo]

The pTR is in the business of certifying people as 'certified teaching pros'. that's how they make their money..the more they certify, the more money they make. ditto for the USPTA. certified teaching pros are a dime a dozen, qualified teaching pros not so. getting certification from these entities doesnt make someone qualified to teach tennis..not even close. all you need is a few hundred bucks, a free weekend, and spend the extra money for the precourse and whipeeeee! you're a teaching pro. the quality of teaching pros is all over the place..there are some really good ones, and also some REALLY bad ones and certification has little to do with it. why the USTA doesnt get more involved with their sport by better ensuring that people qualified to teach are doing the teaching escapes me..they're a lame organization IMO.

 

[DrewRafter8]

I'm with you NBMJ, I was amazed at how easy the PTR test was. If you know how to hit and teach the kick serve, you'll answer 25 questions right. I thought it was very interesting. One of the best teaching "pro's" in my area isn't even interested in having any certification. He had them in the past and doesn't feel that they are "worth" the money. However, I have met some guys with the certification who had amazing minds. I myself will probably end up with both just to help me land a certain job in a city parks and rec department.

 

[NoBadMojo]

I'm with you NBMJ, I was amazed at how easy the PTR test was. If you know how to hit and teach the kick serve, you'll answer 25 questions right. I thought it was very interesting. One of the best teaching "pro's" in my area isn't even interested in having any certification. He had them in the past and doesn't feel that they are "worth" the money. However, I have met some guys with the certification who had amazing minds. I myself will probably end up with both just to help me land a certain job in a city parks and rec department.

aye..i avoided being certified most of the 20 years or so i've been off and on teaching. we would laugh and make up fictitious organizations and put them on our business cards i would renew my certification when a club i was teaching at required it or required me to carry liability insurance as you can pick up liability insurance cheaply thru the ptr or uspta. the certification is only good because you can put it on a card and say you are certified and that adds credibility so the uninformed think you are qualified to teach. it doesnt hurt to be certified, but in many cases it doesnt mean anything.

i think the best way to learn to teach is the way i did it. find a quality teaching pro who is willing to mentor you. i was fortunate to mentor under two fantastic guys who knew so much. a former all american at Rice and a former coach at the Naval Academy. that was easier to do back then perhaps, but there are still some vets who still have the passion and wisdom who are willing to share if they can find time in a busy world..if you can find someone like that, you'll become a really good teaching pro i think, incorporating their wisdom and adding twists to it and keeping up with modern techniques.. . there's a real knack to teaching..much of it can be learned, but much of it is instinctive and innate and noticing things....i learned to play and teach old school but can teach and play with modern elements..and i do teach elements of both..seems like there is a dirth of TP's teaching nothing but open stance and i dont think thats good..some of these guys cant even properly demonstrate a volley because they dont know how to hit one properly. then again, some of the 'old guys' only teach old school....i teach both depending

tangential post..good luck with the teaching..it's fun and rewarding and frustrating

 

[shindemac]

Hey, I'm of the opposite school. Specifically that coaching is another skill you can have. It doesn't necessarily have to come from playing a high level, but it helps. It's a different skill set, and you really need to be a student of the game. For some, they are naturally good and hit and play intuitively. These types would make bad coaches cause they can't analyze and explain things. OTOH, you could have a wheelchair bound guy who understands and sees so much in someone's game.

 

[zapvor]

Hey, I'm of the opposite school. Specifically that coaching is another skill you can have. It doesn't necessarily have to come from playing a high level, but it helps. It's a different skill set, and you really need to be a student of the game. For some, they are naturally good and hit and play intuitively. These types would make bad coaches cause they can't analyze and explain things. OTOH, you could have a wheelchair bound guy whole understands and sees so much in someone's game.

that was what i was going to post. playing at a super high level doesnt hurt, but it does NOT translate into a good coach. i believe to be a good coach the more important critical elements are communication, observation, honesty, caring, character, patience as opposed to 'superior skill/technique'. as for certification, it doesnt hurt either but once again as others pointed out certification does NOT equal qualification.

 

[shindemac]

I think it's also very bad to say only the best can coach/give advice. That's very elitist. When I took martial arts, the grand master taught the highest black belts. The black belts taught the lower black belts. The black belts taught the purple/brown belts. They in turn taught the blue belts. And finally, the blue took care of the freshest re cruits, the white belts! Can u imagine 100 students of varying skill levels all vying for the attention of that one grand master?! That doesn't make sense.

 

[squints]

shindemac is right. I take shotokan karate, and it would be chaos. But I do see what you mean. Especially for high school coaches in my area, i have to say it's a sad sorry excuse, they can't play or coach all that well. There is a saying that those who can't do, teach, (no offense to any teachers.) I'm just saying that you don't have to be able to do it, to know what a good tennis game looks like. Besides the coach is there to work the player, not themselves. So in some cases I think it isn't necessary to have a coach that can play. However, it goes without saying that, just because you can play doesn't mean you can teach. And the few of those that can do both have my respect, because it is truly hard to be able to do both extremely well. Besides everyone learns differently.

 

[zapvor]

just to go back to the OP though, i do sometimes see people giving lessons, and although they know how to play, and can teach to a certain extent, the money being spent on them can be better used on someone more qualified. but i dont know the rates of the lessons i observed.

 

[solidtennis]

well its like this,
I wouldnt take advice of someone on how to fix a car if they havent been sucessful with fixing their own car, so why would it make sense to take advice off someone who hasnt been suceesful with their own tennis career?One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received is "always follow the footsteps of someone who has already been sucessful"
I think you would be much better off buying an instructional dvd or a good tennis book and learning from someone who knows what they are talking about,
because I am still very puzzled at how alot of these pretend coaches are gaining enough experience at a week long couarse !!!!!!!!!

 

[ps60]

i thought only the tennis org in HK is selling ITF's certificate like someone selling apples and oranges. 6 days of "training" and 2 days for tests... $510 or more and annual fees....

i've seen their "product". Oh my god i can't believe it.

But i don't believe great players = great coach.

one is physical another is mental... Of course, some have both.